#ence

"Aw, Bdubs," his right hand knight, Tango, hums. "Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying, Tango," Bdubs sniffs.

"Right. Sorry, mi'lord," Tango says dryly. "I didn't mean to imply that you'd ever ruin your makeup."

"Good! Because I wouldn't!" Bdubs holds his head up high for a second, then slumps down. "Ugh. I can't believe I'm going to marry him."

Tango is nice enough to offer a sympathetic face. "Aw, yeah, sorry dude. I don't know what you can do about it though."

"I'm late for the party," Bdubs tells Tango.

"I know," Tango says, like he did the last time Bdubs told him that he was late. "Do you want to... go now?"

Bdubs stares down at his clock - gold and intricately designed - and watches the second hand tick up to the twelve. He's exactly 40 minutes late. By the time he gets to the ballroom and readies himself to be revealed to the public, he should be 45 minutes late.

45 is a nice number. Yeah, he'll be 45 minutes late.

"Yes," Bdubs decides. "Yes. Let's go now."

He stands and takes the lead, cape swishing behind him, listening to Tango's metallic footsteps behind him.

He's going to be publicly engaged tonight.

He really hopes the food there is good enough to distract from that.

-

Bdubs is a naturally very expressive person. He smiles big, frowns big, speaks loud, and generally does his very best to make sure everyone knows how he feels.

When Bdubs spots Ren down the hallway, he has to school his face into a peaceful calm.

He waves off Tango, who leaves with a nod of a bow, then starts in the other direction.

Ren glances over from where he was looking down another hall, and then walks over in long strides to meet Bdubs halfway.

Bdubs looks up at his fiancé and feels every reason he doesn't want this marriage.

Ren is tall, which is fine- Bdubs doesn't mind tall guys- it's just that Ren towers, and manages to make Bdubs feel small in his shadow. And he's cold. Like, to the touch. Bdubs isn't really all for that kind of thing. He hides his eyes behind sunglasses, which should be fine, but combined with his intimidating... everything, it's just scary. And he's so avoidant too! Or just busy- either way, no time to hang out; to know each other!

Bdubs clenches his jaw and hopes Ren doesn't notice it.

Ren's head drifts a little to the side, and Bdubs blinks. He looks... distracted.

The lights in the hall are dim (another reason Bdubs hates this place), but- Sorry, is stone-cold-hearted The Red King... Blushing?

Bdubs allows himself to stare. Is this about him? Is this about someone else? Should he be worried? Should he be worried about the marriage or about the fact that Ren might actually be in love with him?

What?

Ren relaxes his shoulders, and whatever Bdubs thought he saw disappears as Ren twists his head a bit and any colour to his face is invisible.

"Prince Bdubs," Ren greets, voice soft, like Bdubs is a small animal he doesn't want to scare.

"Red King," Bdubs returns.

Ren's lip curls with displeasure, and Bdubs straightens. He really should try to stop being scared of Ren. He hasn't even done anything.

(Yet.)

"Just Ren," Ren reminds him. "We're to be engaged. We should be a little more familiar than titles."

"Well," Bdubs says. "I'd prefer if you kept using my title."

He turns and starts walking off towards the ballroom's grand doors. No footsteps follow behind him, and Bdubs spins on his heel when he realizes Ren is taking too long.

He hasn't moved from his spot, and looks... maybe amused. Maybe confused. (Those sunglasses! Honestly, how is he supposed to know what he's thinking with those things?)

"The ball, Red King," Bdubs reminds. "We're late!"

The smile on Ren's lips - so small Bdubs could barely tell it existed - grows into something a little more genuine. "Walk with me, Prince. They've waited 45 minutes. They can wait a couple more."

He turns, cape billowing behind him, and begins walking down another hallway, opposite to the direction Bdubs was going.

Bdubs stares after him, jaw agape. How dare he assume he'd just follow after him! The nerve!

-

Bdubs walks side by side with Ren, doing his best to match his stride. They've been walking for a minute now, without talking, and Bdubs is going to lose it. His dramatic entrance was supposed to be 45 minutes late! Not- not- however long this is going to take!

Finally:

"You don't want the engagement," Ren says.

Not a question. Maybe an accusation.

"Oh," Bdubs says. "Well- well! Of course I do! It's going to be very helpful to our kingdoms! It'll be great."

"Ah, I guess I didn't emphasize this right," Ren snorts. "You don't want the engagement."

"Well," Bdubs starts. He pauses, because he doesn't actually have anything else to say.

"You strike me as the type to want to marry, but it's because it's me, isn't it?"

Got it in one! Bdubs struggles not to say.

"You're... very nice," Bdubs offers instead.

Ren laughs, deep and loud. "But not your type."

"Uh." Bdubs glances between Ren and the wall. "What brought this up?"

"We can cut off the engagement if you like."

Bdubs freezes in the middle of the hallway. Ren keeps going.

"I'm sorry- what?"

Ren pauses too, turning to glance back at Bdubs. "We can call off the engagement. You are... unhappy with all this, from what I can tell, so we can call it off. It'll be a little messy, paperwork wise- oh, well, dealing with the advisors might- ah, and the people- hm." Ren taps a claw to his chin. "It'll be messy," he decides.

"We- the announcement of the engagement is today!" Bdubs reminds. "It's- It's now, actually!"

"We wouldn't be calling off the engagement today," Ren says, sounding appalled at the idea. "It would have to happen over the course of the next several months."

A pause.

"Assuming this is what you want."

"It is!" Bdubs yells, throwing his hands in the air. "What even brought this on?"

Ren looks away from Bdubs and rubs at his hands. "I was... offered advice."

Bdubs frowns. Advice? That... is either a lie, or almost one.

"We can go to the ball now," Ren says. "Announce the engagement that we'll call off in a month or two." He offers his hand, and Bdubs walks the way over to take it.

"Alright," Ren says. "Now, we just need to make sure neither of us make a scene until the break off is finalized."

Bdubs nods. Yeah. He can do that.

-

Two hours later - after having talked with the beautiful Grand Knight, Etho, soft spoken with warm hands that wrap around his when they dance, and the stunning Queen Cleo, with a sharp tongue but a past he remembers painted in soft touches and a tingle up his spine, and the lovely Lord Impulse, with his heavy voice and kind words, and the alluring Scar, with all his pretty mystery and twinkle in his eye - two hours later...